This morning was Ellie's one-month check-up. She weighed 6 pounds and 12.5 ounces. She has grown a lot since our last visit! She was still only in the third percentile for both weight and height for her age but that is alright because she was a month early. They were very happy with her growth and said she looked great. It will be interesting to see how fast she catches up or if she always stays on the smaller side. They told us she was 19 3/4 inches which was strange because at the hospital they measured her 20 1/4 but they said that they measure a different way. We know that she is longer--because some of the outfits that used to fit are way to short now.
She had to have her 2nd hepatitis b vaccine today which I had forgotten she'd get. It was sooo sad (for me...she took it like a champ). I don't know how I'll handle the 5 she has to have next time. Ellie is pretty sleepy this afternoon after a busy day!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Ellie is 1 month old AND happy due date!
Today marks a couple of big milestones. Ellie is one month old and today is her due date. It is hard to imagine what it would have been like if she was born "as scheduled." This month has been filled with great times.
Some highlights of her first month:
-Her first cry! We were nervous that Ellie wouldn't be quite ready for handling the world on her own since she was 4.5 weeks early. It was so great to hear her cry and know that was an awesome sign that her lungs were working. The first minutes of holding her were so special although almost a blur now. We are so grateful that she is healthy and has 10 long fingers and 10 long toes!
-The night Ellie was born after all of the excitement of our unexpected early baby settled and visitors left- Jason and I sat and held Ellie in an overwhelming emotional moment of amazement and awe.
-6 pounds and 1/2 ounce! That was a great day for Ellie an for us. It was just such a relief to have her finally gaining weight after all the worries and feeding troubles.
-Cuddle time- Ellie is a big time snuggle bug and both Jason and I have enjoyed just spending time with her. She is such a little peanut when she is warm and snuggled up. Sometimes she just wants to lay with us for a little bit. Some of our best moments have been when the three of us are just quiet and comfy. It is great to be a family!
-We took Ellie to church for the first time this past Sunday. Our church is getting ready to move into a new building and we were able to tour it. It was great to have her with us for the service and then walk through the rooms where she'll go to church. One night this week she was in her bouncy chair on the table while we were eating, when we said grace we each held one of her hands and she gripped down so hard- it was so sweet!
-Little baby noises- Ellie has the cutest little noise that she makes every once in awhile. Our favorite sounds like a little laugh. We are going to try to catch it on video.
-Pooping in the bath! During her very first bath she gave us the joy of relieving herself in the warmth of the water. I guess that is total relaxation.
-The outpouring of love and support from family and friends. We are so happy that she will grow up with such a wonderful group of people loving her!
Some highlights of her first month:-Her first cry! We were nervous that Ellie wouldn't be quite ready for handling the world on her own since she was 4.5 weeks early. It was so great to hear her cry and know that was an awesome sign that her lungs were working. The first minutes of holding her were so special although almost a blur now. We are so grateful that she is healthy and has 10 long fingers and 10 long toes!
-The night Ellie was born after all of the excitement of our unexpected early baby settled and visitors left- Jason and I sat and held Ellie in an overwhelming emotional moment of amazement and awe.
-6 pounds and 1/2 ounce! That was a great day for Ellie an for us. It was just such a relief to have her finally gaining weight after all the worries and feeding troubles.
-Cuddle time- Ellie is a big time snuggle bug and both Jason and I have enjoyed just spending time with her. She is such a little peanut when she is warm and snuggled up. Sometimes she just wants to lay with us for a little bit. Some of our best moments have been when the three of us are just quiet and comfy. It is great to be a family!
-We took Ellie to church for the first time this past Sunday. Our church is getting ready to move into a new building and we were able to tour it. It was great to have her with us for the service and then walk through the rooms where she'll go to church. One night this week she was in her bouncy chair on the table while we were eating, when we said grace we each held one of her hands and she gripped down so hard- it was so sweet!
-Little baby noises- Ellie has the cutest little noise that she makes every once in awhile. Our favorite sounds like a little laugh. We are going to try to catch it on video.
-Pooping in the bath! During her very first bath she gave us the joy of relieving herself in the warmth of the water. I guess that is total relaxation.
-The outpouring of love and support from family and friends. We are so happy that she will grow up with such a wonderful group of people loving her!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
4 Weeks Old!
Ellie was born 4 weeks ago! We are all doing well. She is eating, pooping, and growing like crazy! She has even started outgrowing her preemie clothes. I think we are all adjusting pretty well to having a new one in the house. Missy and Milo are pretty much ignoring her at this point which is great. Poor Milo hurt his knee a couple of weeks ago so he is not allowed to play or run which they both hate. Missy has been demanding a little more attention lately...probably because she is jealous and bored. But overall they have both done better than we expected considering they have been overtaken by a tiny human!
Ellie has been super hungry this week and it seems like she is eating all the time. They warned us in our classes and at the hospital that this would happen so I just feed her and feed her and feed her. After that she is very content and then just poops and poops and poops. We have experienced both the up the back poop and she got Grandma Sue and Zoe with a leaky leg diaper... yuck!!! It is amazing how she pees on us at least once a day and has managed to poop in the bath twice. At least she is cute so we don't mind too much! I must say we are getting much better at limiting the damage when these episodes do occur.
Ellie has been super hungry this week and it seems like she is eating all the time. They warned us in our classes and at the hospital that this would happen so I just feed her and feed her and feed her. After that she is very content and then just poops and poops and poops. We have experienced both the up the back poop and she got Grandma Sue and Zoe with a leaky leg diaper... yuck!!! It is amazing how she pees on us at least once a day and has managed to poop in the bath twice. At least she is cute so we don't mind too much! I must say we are getting much better at limiting the damage when these episodes do occur.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Diapers in the Dark
Well we had a new experience this morning... when Ellie woke up for her 3:30 AM feeding I realized it was extremely dark in our room. Shortly we figured out that the power was out. So Jason scrambled to find some flashlights and a candle...luckily we had our cell phones with backlights to get around! So together we managed to change her diaper by candlelight and then feed her. I called Progress Energy and the power came back on about 9 AM...I'm not sure what happened. Our neighbor suggested that we should have used a headlamp to get that diaper changed!
On other news, we went to dress Ellie this morning in the cute little preemie outfit that we bought the day we came home from the hospital. We got her arms in it and then went to snap up the legs and it was too short! So she is growing for sure.
Ellie's favorite activities right now are following things with her eyes (it is pretty cool to watch things pass by!), grabbing her pacifier out of her mouth (which makes her very mad by the way), and she is still quite the cuddle bug. Her neck is getting pretty strong and she lifts her head up for a few seconds at a time testing it out.
Everyone asks how she sleeps and really she does very well. Lately she has been wide awake around 11-12 which is generally when we are going to sleep but we are trying to keep her awake a little more in the 7-9 PM range so that she is sleepier later on. Other than that she generally sleeps 3-4 hours wakes up, eats and goes right back to sleep. I'm a little worried about the habit I'm getting into of going back to sleep after her early morning feeding until sometimes 10:30-11. I know that will be hard to break when I go back to work!
On other news, we went to dress Ellie this morning in the cute little preemie outfit that we bought the day we came home from the hospital. We got her arms in it and then went to snap up the legs and it was too short! So she is growing for sure.
Ellie's favorite activities right now are following things with her eyes (it is pretty cool to watch things pass by!), grabbing her pacifier out of her mouth (which makes her very mad by the way), and she is still quite the cuddle bug. Her neck is getting pretty strong and she lifts her head up for a few seconds at a time testing it out.
Everyone asks how she sleeps and really she does very well. Lately she has been wide awake around 11-12 which is generally when we are going to sleep but we are trying to keep her awake a little more in the 7-9 PM range so that she is sleepier later on. Other than that she generally sleeps 3-4 hours wakes up, eats and goes right back to sleep. I'm a little worried about the habit I'm getting into of going back to sleep after her early morning feeding until sometimes 10:30-11. I know that will be hard to break when I go back to work!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Snow!
This morning we woke up to snow! Well actually one of the hidden benefits of feeding a baby through the night is you get to monitor the snowfall as it happens :)
So check out Ellie's first snow angel!
Don't worry people... we had her outside for a VERY short period of time and she didn't even wake up. Her little snow suit was so big her legs didn't even reach the leg holes but I think it kept her very warm. Fun times!
So check out Ellie's first snow angel!
Don't worry people... we had her outside for a VERY short period of time and she didn't even wake up. Her little snow suit was so big her legs didn't even reach the leg holes but I think it kept her very warm. Fun times!
Monday, January 19, 2009
3 Weeks Old!
We can't believe it! Ellie is 3 weeks old today and man has it been a great three weeks. Apparently at 3 weeks old it is really fun to be awake around 10-11 PM which is okay considering it really is the only time she likes to be awake that we would like to be asleep!
We had a fun day today. Ellie and I went and meet baby Zachary at lunch. Zachary was born a week before Ellie and his mom used to work with me so it was really fun to see them and compare size, etc. He is a handsome little guy!
We had a fun day today. Ellie and I went and meet baby Zachary at lunch. Zachary was born a week before Ellie and his mom used to work with me so it was really fun to see them and compare size, etc. He is a handsome little guy!
Friday, January 16, 2009
6 pounds!
Ellie went to the doctor this morning...all bundled up because it was very cold!!! She weighed in at 6 pounds and 1/2 ounce! (last weight was 5 pounds 9.5 ounces last Wednesday) Great news! That means she is eating well and on her way to plumping up. She won't go back until her one month appointment when we hope she is back up to her birth weight.
She sure is changing a lot right now. She is much more aware of what is going on and has started really looking at things. She likes to stare at a black, white, and red book that Vera brought for her to borrow. She is awake a little more now which is fun.
Check out her old man wrinkle face... sooo cute!
She sure is changing a lot right now. She is much more aware of what is going on and has started really looking at things. She likes to stare at a black, white, and red book that Vera brought for her to borrow. She is awake a little more now which is fun.
Check out her old man wrinkle face... sooo cute!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
2 weeks old!
Ellie is two weeks old today! Unbelievable. We had a super busy weekend. Ellie got to meet her aunts Carissa and Jesse for the first time as well as her cousin Vera! Fun times!
My family threw a great shower for us on Sunday and it was fun to have Ellie there even though that wasn't the original plan. We were so fortunate to get so many amazing gifts. Everyone was so generous and we really appreciate it! Today I'm busy organizing everything and getting the nursery set up now that we know a little better how we want it.
We also celebrated "Christmas" at the Hansen household because it was the first time we could get together. Ellie got to wear Vera's Santa suit from last year. Too cute! It is funny because we thought there was no way she'd be wearing a newborn sized Christmas outfit.
Ellie is already changing so much. She is a lot more aware than she was the first week and seems to really enjoy looking at our faces and checking out things around her. She is sleeping really well at night most of the time. She wakes up every 2-3 hours but in general eats and goes back to sleep. She finally has nursing down and so that is a major relief. The first few days were really really tough with that... now I know why people quit breastfeeding! It was super frustrating. We have discovered that she loves being held in the Moby Wrap...and it is great for us because we get to cuddle with her but still get work done. Check out how cute she is in there:
My family threw a great shower for us on Sunday and it was fun to have Ellie there even though that wasn't the original plan. We were so fortunate to get so many amazing gifts. Everyone was so generous and we really appreciate it! Today I'm busy organizing everything and getting the nursery set up now that we know a little better how we want it.
We also celebrated "Christmas" at the Hansen household because it was the first time we could get together. Ellie got to wear Vera's Santa suit from last year. Too cute! It is funny because we thought there was no way she'd be wearing a newborn sized Christmas outfit.
Ellie is already changing so much. She is a lot more aware than she was the first week and seems to really enjoy looking at our faces and checking out things around her. She is sleeping really well at night most of the time. She wakes up every 2-3 hours but in general eats and goes back to sleep. She finally has nursing down and so that is a major relief. The first few days were really really tough with that... now I know why people quit breastfeeding! It was super frustrating. We have discovered that she loves being held in the Moby Wrap...and it is great for us because we get to cuddle with her but still get work done. Check out how cute she is in there:
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Yay for Ellie!!
We have good news! Ellie gained 1.5 ounces! We're hoping that means she hit her low point on Monday and she will be gaining from now on. The doctor suggested we keep doing what we are doing which means she nurses and then we offer her pumped milk from a bottle if she is still hungry or is a little too tired to concentrate enough to nurse efficiently. It must be hard to be so tiny! They told us we could wait until her 1 month appointment to come back but we are a little nervous about going so long so he suggested we come back next week just to weigh her and make sure she is still steadily gaining.
We are working on posting some belly pictures and some of the posts that we missed over the past few chaotic weeks. So check out the older dates...
We are working on posting some belly pictures and some of the posts that we missed over the past few chaotic weeks. So check out the older dates...
Monday, January 5, 2009
One Week Old!
We can't believe that Ellie is already a week old. It has flown by.
We had a bit of a busy day today. This morning we got up and went to the doctor at 10:00. We were doing great and were almost on time until.... an explosive diaper! Our first of many. We both laughed through the whole thing got her changed and then went to the pediatrician a few minutes late. The main reason for today's visit was to check Ellie's weight since they so far haven't seen an increase after her initial drop. Unfortunately (and possibly do to the giant diaper!) she was down to 5 lbs 8 oz today. Jason and I were pretty frustrated but we know she'll start gaining soon. It is hard not to worry about it. We were just hoping today would be the day. So we are back to the doctor on Wednesday for another weight check.
She really is eating a lot better. The first few days were very tough because we had to use the SNS system to supplement with pumped milk because she was just too sleepy to eat. I guess a very common problem with preemies. She seems to be eating and pooping like champ now so the doctor said these are all good signs that weight gain is on the horizon. They had us start giving her a bottle of pumped milk after each feeding today just to make sure she is getting all she can handle. So far there have been mixed results with the bottles... she spewed most of the first one all over her cute outfit! Check out daddy's first feeding:
After the doctor Ellie had her first outing to lunch with my work. It was our Christmas lunch and so Jason dropped us off while he ran to work for a few minutes. She was great...slept in her carseat the whole time. It was fun to see everyone and show her off.
Sleeping is going okay. She generally wakes up every 2-3 hours to eat and goes right back to sleep. Last night I think she was a little too tired and was having trouble settling down enough to eat so we were up for a couple of hours with her.
Ellie has tried out a few new things this week...she had her first bath yesterday and seemed to enjoy it.
She also has enjoyed her new swing. Thank so much to the Sylvia, Steve, Frank and Kari!
We are so grateful to have such a healthy and happy baby. She is the greatest!
We had a bit of a busy day today. This morning we got up and went to the doctor at 10:00. We were doing great and were almost on time until.... an explosive diaper! Our first of many. We both laughed through the whole thing got her changed and then went to the pediatrician a few minutes late. The main reason for today's visit was to check Ellie's weight since they so far haven't seen an increase after her initial drop. Unfortunately (and possibly do to the giant diaper!) she was down to 5 lbs 8 oz today. Jason and I were pretty frustrated but we know she'll start gaining soon. It is hard not to worry about it. We were just hoping today would be the day. So we are back to the doctor on Wednesday for another weight check.
She really is eating a lot better. The first few days were very tough because we had to use the SNS system to supplement with pumped milk because she was just too sleepy to eat. I guess a very common problem with preemies. She seems to be eating and pooping like champ now so the doctor said these are all good signs that weight gain is on the horizon. They had us start giving her a bottle of pumped milk after each feeding today just to make sure she is getting all she can handle. So far there have been mixed results with the bottles... she spewed most of the first one all over her cute outfit! Check out daddy's first feeding:
After the doctor Ellie had her first outing to lunch with my work. It was our Christmas lunch and so Jason dropped us off while he ran to work for a few minutes. She was great...slept in her carseat the whole time. It was fun to see everyone and show her off.Sleeping is going okay. She generally wakes up every 2-3 hours to eat and goes right back to sleep. Last night I think she was a little too tired and was having trouble settling down enough to eat so we were up for a couple of hours with her.
Ellie has tried out a few new things this week...she had her first bath yesterday and seemed to enjoy it.
She also has enjoyed her new swing. Thank so much to the Sylvia, Steve, Frank and Kari!
We are so grateful to have such a healthy and happy baby. She is the greatest!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Day 4 Update
Ellie is doing great. We went this morning for her first visit to the pediatrician. Everything went well. We liked the doctor a lot and they said she looks great. She hadn't gained back any weight yet so they said to keep feeding, feeding, feeding! We'll go back Monday to weigh her again.
Check out Ellie's new outfit... we made a trip to Babies R Us last night to get a carseat that she fits in and a new portable crib and so we had to get a little preemie outfit that she actually fits in! I'm so excited not to have to roll sleeves! I know she'll only fit in it for probably a week but hey after birthing a baby we decided we should just buy it.
Check out Ellie's new outfit... we made a trip to Babies R Us last night to get a carseat that she fits in and a new portable crib and so we had to get a little preemie outfit that she actually fits in! I'm so excited not to have to roll sleeves! I know she'll only fit in it for probably a week but hey after birthing a baby we decided we should just buy it.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Pictures
We've started uploading some pictures from the past few days:
http://flickr.com/photos/laydros/sets/72157612033711984/
http://flickr.com/photos/laydros/sets/72157612033711984/
3 Days Old!
Happy New Year!
I didn't know how occupied my time would be the last few days...but we promise to post lots of pictures TODAY...and a few posts about the past few days.
Check out our cutie at 3 days old!
Our first night home was fine. Ellie is a great baby. Being a month early means she is quite sleepy most of the time (which can be a major pain when you are trying to figure out how to nurse!). Today we are in search of tiny little diapers and preemie socks so we are hoping that Babies R Us is open.
I didn't know how occupied my time would be the last few days...but we promise to post lots of pictures TODAY...and a few posts about the past few days.
Check out our cutie at 3 days old!
Our first night home was fine. Ellie is a great baby. Being a month early means she is quite sleepy most of the time (which can be a major pain when you are trying to figure out how to nurse!). Today we are in search of tiny little diapers and preemie socks so we are hoping that Babies R Us is open.
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